The second performance I caught starred Jodie Thomas and Thomas Lund as the lead couple. Soloist Jodie Thomas joined the company last year and is a strong, small and competent dancer, although not dramatically strong nor able to match Lund in elegance and style. But she was wise enough to follow his lead and thereby this performance gained not only a heart but also a significant style and expression.

She wasn't a member of Pacific Northwest Ballet, but Alice Cao did dance in main stage productions as a Professional Division student while earning a BS in Computer Science at the University of Washington. She joined American Repertory Ballet after spending last season as an apprentice with Ballet Memphis.

Given Ms. Cao's academic track record and history of multi-tasking, I would not be surprised if one of the lures of the company is proximity to a great university.

I happened to watch "Mao's Last Dancer" on DVD a couple of days ago. I couldn't help but be struck by the similarity between Sar's experience and challenges compared to Cunxin's -- each even has a movie. Anyone else struck by this?

P.S. I liked the movie, but overall I was not particularly impressed.....the slow motion dancing particularly bothered me.

Olivier Wevers has won a Princess Grace award for his choreography with Whim W'him. Here's the announcement:

Olivier Wevers Receives Princess Grace Award

First Seattle Choreographer To Receive Award For Seattle Dance Company

Olivier Wevers, Artistic Director of Seattle dance company Whim W’Him, has been awarded the prestigious Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship. Wevers, a former principal dancer at Pacific Northwest Ballet, is the first recipient of the choreographic fellowship award residing in Seattle, as well as creating a new work for a Seattle-based company.

Donald Byrd, Artistic Director of Spectrum Dance Theatre, nominated Wevers for the prestigious award. A portion of the award will go towards funding a new creation by Wevers for Spectrum’s upcoming season. In nominating Wevers, Byrd said ‘As he leaves his career as a dancer Olivier enjoys strong public and critical interest in his choreography and I would like to help to build that support. At Spectrum Dance Theater he will find a platform for deep investigation of his ideas and ideas are what will sustain his career."

Wevers choreographic career started in 2002 and the new works he’s choreographed for Whim W’Him ‘s sold-out audiences since 2009 have caused a stir not only on the local and national dance scene but also abroad. In April, Whim W’Him was the first and only US dance troupe invited to compete in the 4th Copenhagen International Choreography Competition. In 2010 Whim W’Him picked up the Grand Prize Award at the 13th Annual Dance Under The Stars Choreography Festival in Palm Desert.

Wevers will be recognized in an award ceremony hosted by Prince Albert II of Monaco November 1st at Cipriani in New York City. Joining him will be his husband, Lucien Postlewaite. They are the first married couple in the country to both be Princess Grace award recipients.

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The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is a national foundation dedicated to identifying and assisting emerging talent in theater, dance, and film by awarding grants in the form of scholarships, apprenticeships, and fellowships. It was named after Princess Grace of Monaco.

Almost as soon as he received notice of the award, Wevers started to think about the piece he’ll create for Spectrum. He’s chosen music by Johan Johannson that he says has a “dark and mysterious” feeling and has some ideas about costumes, but the hard work of creating the movement is yet to come. Given the local buzz about Wevers — all recent Whim W’Him performances have received critical acclaim and performed to sold-out houses — the new work is bound to get a lot of attention whenever it opens.

Wevers has worked with some past and current Spectrum dancers in his own company, including the splendicious Kylie Lewallen, Ty Alexander Cheng, Kelly Ann Barton, and Hannah Lagerway. It will be interesting to see with whom he works and how many dancers he'll use for this new piece.

In the last 17 years, you have witnessed the elegance and grace of Ariana Lallone as a principal ballerina at Pacific Northwest Ballet; now see her like never before! Teatro ZinZanni would like to invite her supporters to celebrate her 17 amazing years as principal ballerina and her upcoming debut at Teatro ZinZanni by offering $17 off select performances of Bonsoir Liliane!

Bonsoir Liliane! is an original production directed by Broadway legend and nine-time Tony Award winner Tommy Tune. The all-new show features the extraordinary life of French dancer and Tony Award winning star Liliane Montevecchi. The show will take you on a journey through Liliane’s fondest memories and boldest fantasies in Moscow, Paris and beyond. The spiegeltent is transformed to showcase spectacular new dance numbers featuring former Pacific Northwest Ballet star Ariana Lallone.

I was wondering how the Teatro ZZ were planning to use Lallone, and this has big potential. Montevecchi has had a very lush career, and her personal style will certainly complement and be complemented by Lallone's.

Ballet Arizona's David Marshalsay was one of the choreographers this year, as was School of Ballet Arizona faculty member Kevin Jenkins and local Highly Qualified Teacher, dance teacher, and choreographer Tracy A. Marion.